Comments on: Popcorn Fridays? Meet Trayless Tuesdayshttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/
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By: Toby Sheppard Blochhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-822955
Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:17:03 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-822955I’m confused. These schools had the facilities for washing reusable trays at some point (i.e. before disposable was available) so what happened? Sounds like the real cost here is the labor to wash and handle the reusables…but so what? It’s a good job that will help the economy.
]]>By: Hollabackhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-793193
Sat, 06 Nov 2010 12:13:45 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-793193Oh and plastic trays require, another warm body and a facility that has commercial grade washing equipment. Most school populations feed 800 to 1,000 kids a day, and school kitchens are not equipped with old school system set up for real flatware and reusable trays.

–Hollaback

]]>By: Hollabackhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-793191
Sat, 06 Nov 2010 12:10:51 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-793191Why, why,why? Because the school system only gets about 1.75 to feed your kid, which includes 2 sides and an entree, minus the mandatory milk an additional quarter, and out of that 1.75 comes staffing, and operations, which really only leaves 70 cents per meal. Now really, you can’t have freash, local, sustainable, nutritious, delicious and biodegradeable trays on 70 cents.

]]>By: Brianhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-638637
Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:22:29 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-638637DOE should be using washable plastic trays. This is another case of wasteful spending at the DOE.
]]>By: EVCS Momhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-635637
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:41:30 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-635637BAKE SALE BAN PROTEST AT CITY HALL: Thursday, March 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. join hundreds of other parents in protesting the new Chancellor’s regulations that prohibit families selling home-baked goods or even organic popcorn to raise money for schools while permitting the sale of such processed foods as Doritos and Pop-Tarts. Learn a lot more about these and other school food issues by visiting http://www.nycgreenschools.org.
]]>By: blacklighthttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-634413
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:22:02 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-634413I’d like the food to be healthy, fresh and nutritious. At the same time, I’d like both the food and the containers to be easy to clean. I’d be cool if the school system could get the neighborhood housewives to cook in the cafeteria and pay them for their trouble with the understanding that the money they make will be exempt from safety net eligibility calculations. And since New York City is such a world city, I am definitely looking forward to the day when falafels, tabouleh couscous, tapas, tacos and many other international favorites make it to the students’ menus. You are what you eat. If you consistently eat garbage, then guess what your mind turns to. :)
]]>By: Stephanie Weilhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-633771
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:04:25 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-633771When I was in elementary school in the 80s, we had aluminum trays and Melmac plates.

After lunch period, we would turn in our mess, with one of the lunchroom ladies would sort out plates in one pile and trays in another. The food leavings and empty milk containers would go in the trash.

Why this system stopped, I don’t know.

]]>By: Georgehttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-633531
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:33:20 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-633531I do have one quibble with this CR report.

Do tell me please. What and where would one find “organic salt”?

Last I checked, salt was still a mineral composed of sodium and chloride atoms.

Perhaps, Sharon, you might want to turn down the “hyperbole” knob just a little in your writing style?

]]>By: marjorie, popcorn lovahhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-633507
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:01:49 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-633507solutions SOUND easy when you’re on the outside, but once you’re in the trenches (as i’m sure debby lee and helen greenberg can attest) — you see how hard it is to make changes in the system. our school’s food committee immediately wanted to know why we couldn’t get washable trays — getting the plumbing and kitchen upgrades necessary for a dishwasher will be prohibitively expensive and would require permits for plumbing upgrades, and we are a school that can barely pay for its own music and art (which we have to do). and even if a school GETS compostable trays, it has to pay for its own composting. (i’m sad to hear that EVCS is only allowed to sell its organic popcorn — rather than DOE-sanctioned doritos and packaged fudge cookies! — once a month now! we were hoping to copy helen’s lead to pay for our own healthier food initiatives.) as in many schools in ancient buildings, our kitchen is barely a kitchen — the hard-working kitchen staff has is microwaves and warming ovens; they don’t have a stovetop to cook on, so all they can do is reheat. and yes, school lunch is often vile. believe us, we care.

in response to an earlier commenter: my kids’ school isn’t wealthy either. (nor is EVCS.) our PTA digs deep and fundraises creatively to pay for what i’d consider essentials — art, music, etc. parents pay for classrooms’ paper. but that doesn’t mean we can’t also try to improve what our kids eat and what happens to the planet.

]]>By: djshttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-633485
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:17:56 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-633485DebbyLee Cohen’s herculean efforts to rid the schools of styrofoam trays have been simply amazing . And this issue with he sale of organic popcorn is so crazy….its good for you!
hasn’t anyone at the DOE heard about fiber?
]]>By: letthemeatpopcornhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-633263
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:13:06 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-633263Someone from the DOE should walk into my kids’ (not impoverished, but not affluent) Bklyn public school and see the horrible processed foods that kids bring from home for lunch. These include “Lunchables,” which appear to be shelf-stable meats!

Please, they should be BEGGING them to eat organic popcorn!

Dunderheads. And we’re powerless to stop it b/c mayoral control means anything the mayor’s DOE says, no matter how ludicrous, goes.

]]>By: spaypetshttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-632905
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:51:11 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-632905ARRGH–The Department of Ed would really rather kids eat Doritos and Poptarts than popcorn, which is a WHOLE GRAIN!!! Oh for heaven’s sake, talk about stupid. Popcorn is a wonderfulf snack–even popped in oil, if it’s a healthy oil. It’s far superior to anything at a bake sale or any manufactured frankenfood. A thousand lashes with a wet whole wheat noodle for the boneheaded bureaucrat who is trying to stop these sales.
]]>By: Georgehttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-632883
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:28:37 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-632883Why can’t they use cardboard trays which are biodegradeable?

I wonder how many of those geniuses working at the DOE stop into Starbucks each day for a jolt of caffiene on their way to work? Can’t they put 2+2 together? If Buckaroo’s can make the switch to biodegradeable cardboard trays – why can’t the schools?

]]>By: cedarglen11http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-632857
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:49:32 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-632857What happened to those industrial strength plastic plates and bowls that the school lunch rooms used to use? To expensive to wash? For Heaven’s sake! Consult with the parents of the PTA group! They are EXPERTS at hiring illegal immigrants, avoiding Social Security taxes and paying sub-minimum wages. Many of them do it – and get away with it – every week.
If folks want to limit costs and government intervention, skipping a few popcorn sales is not the way to do it. The schools can use the illegals (if paid by the PTA) just like Mom and Dad do at home. Some schools are probably already doing it!
]]>By: akirahttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/comment-page-1/#comment-632849
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:41:25 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/#comment-632849Oh my lord…they start with one day only?! And the other four days they will continue to use STYROFOAM? I agree with others….why on earth aren’t they using REAL plates that can be constantly re-used? Even PAPER is vastly better than styrofoam as it will decompose much faster.

Buy some real plates and in no time at all they will pay for themselves.

Sharon # 7 said “today few schools have working dishwashers that can heat trays to high enough temperatures to kill germs…”

To which I’d say “then GET some working dishwashers”. And what are these ‘high enough’ temperatures of which she speaks? Kids encounter germs on a daily basis. I’m sure whatever type cleaning the dishwashers do will suffice. Enough with the germ fear mongering.

The dishwashers will pay for themselves while year after year some other school is still dishing out money to maintain their supply of disposable plates. And what ‘additional labor costs’ is she referring to? Loading and unloading the dishwasher? How much more work would that be, versus putting in orders for more disposable plates, sealing up that many more garbage bags of disposable plates, carrying that many more garbage bags out to the dumpster…. Please.